David Copperfield's "Museum"

I've been working the David Copperfield story today, albeit with little success as there's very little available information beyond the fact that the Vegas FBI raided the magician's warehouse here on behalf of the Seattle FBI. The rest of the information out there -- that it has to do with a sex incident in the Bahamas and that the FBI left the warehouse with a large sum of money -- is all reported by the local TV and paper using unnamed sources.

That said, the warehouse is kind of in=teresting because on "The Strip" in December 2005, Copperfield declined to identify even where it is located. And here's the exchange about it that we had at the time:

Copperfield: I have a museum here, it's not for the public. It's a secret museum. It’s got all kinds of really cool stuff. That's become the place where all my stuff goes.

Friess: What's the purpose of having a secret museum?

Copperfield: Well, I'm a magician, so I do magic stuff and the museum and all of the stuff I have are dealing with secrets. If it were a public museum, it wouldn't be good for my fellow magicians.

Friess: It is funny because I did find it on your website, there was a lot of discussion of all the different items that you collected. Is there a point where it will be public? What will you do with all these things. And where are they? I was looking on the site to find out where this museum was and I really couldn't find out.

Copperfield: Exactly.

Friess: Because it's not there.

Copperfield: No, I don't keep this to myself. Scholars get to use it. People who are writing books on magic use it for research. And for the public, I've done lots of displays. The people from the Smithsonian design displays and take it out on the road. ... They take them to Washington D.C. or New York City or to L.A. to the Kodak Theater where they do the Oscars. I tihnk it's important to let the people experience it and that's what I'm doing.

Friess: It's called the International Museum and Library of Conjuring Arts. Interesting way of putting it. Conjuring arts. It has a sort of Harry Potter ring to it.

Copperfield: There you go. It didn't 5 years ago.

You can hear the entire discussion here or right-click here to download it and hear it whenever you wish.

The Strip and The Petcast

Good news: This week's "The Strip" is now available, loaded with breaking news and other fun chatter as well as an interview with an original "O" cast member. Hear it here or right-click here to download it and listen to it whenever you want! Also, the show went a bit long so we've put out the interview with an original "Mystere" cast member as a separate bonus edition. Hear that here or right-click here to download it.

Bad news: We're not doing a live recording of "The Petcast" this weekend. We'll get to that on Oct. 27 from 10-noon PT at LVRocks.Com. We'll remind you when the time comes.

Breaking: American Idol, The Las Vegas Spectacular?

I've now heard from high-ranking officials of more than one casino conglomerate that go-betweens for the producers of American Idol are hard at work trying to marry the reality megahit brand to Vegas in some sort of as-yet-undefined show concept. It's really fluid what it would be -- some sort of talent show involving the audience? a concert featuring ex-AIers? -- but as the city tries to look beyond big-name headliners, Cirque-type spectacles and Broadway, this is one thought that holds some real appeal and pre-sold marketing clout.

Whatcha think of them apples?

Confirmed: Beauty of Magic Gone 12/8

It's confirmed! "The Beauty of Magic," the biggest mistake on "The Strip" in many years, closes on Dec. 8 when Pamela Anderson is through.

I had noticed they weren't selling tickets beyond Dec. 8, so I asked Brad Seidel, the publicist for the show. And he wrote back: "Yes, the show will conclude its exclusive Las Vegas run at that time as planned."

Hmm. Hans Klok told anybody who listened he expected Siegfried & Roy-like run of many years, not six months. I'm certain I saw him say that on the "Today" show.

Oddly, I found this weird Sept. 24 interview on a site called PR.Com, which is clearly some sort of paid publicity thing masquerading as journalism. He confirms the Dec. 8 end there, sort of, but there's also this exchange:

PR.com: Do you want to stay in Las Vegas indefinitely, for years?
Hans Klok: I would love to.

Hmm. Bummer, that.

Why do I carry such vitriol for this particular show? I think it's because I despise being lied to. You know, like when this questioner states, "You guys were still selling out even in the summer...." I highly doubt this show ever sold out one single time.

Or this most cynical of exchanges:

PR.com: How come you and Pam are insinuating that you’re dating when you do press? Is it an ongoing gag between the two of you?

Hans Klok: Yeah, it’s more a funny thing, because when that happens it’s always during a TV show when the host is always making Pamela Anderson jokes. It’s just a routine. We have a very good chemistry and that’s it. We’re good friends and I’m not going to make it more then what it is.

PR.com: So you’re just playing on the joke basically…

Hans Klok: Yeah, we’re playing on the joke, but I think we played so much on the joke that everybody [believes it].

PR.com: There are articles everywhere saying, “Are they dating?”

Hans Klok: We’re not, but it’s fun. We have a great time. It’s just a big joke.

PR.com: I know. You have to have fun with the media.

Hans Klok: Right! Well, they’re picking it up and it’s good for us. And I don’t have any tattoos…

Huh? "Have fun"? You mean LIE because you think it's a clever way to drum up publicity? And get caught when Pam ends up having one of her whirlwind romances and it's NOT WITH YOU?

Bye, Hans. If you ever come back, please bring some tricks of your own.

The Strip is LIVE at 7 pm PT

Join us as usual -- OK, this time on a Wednesday -- for the live show starting at about 7:05 pm (assuming I brings the script this time...). We'll celebrate the 9th birthday of "O" with a chat with an "O" and a "Mystere" performer, plus talk about the week's Vegas news and much more.

Come on down to LVROCKS.COM tonight! Or be that way and grab the podcast, which will be available late Thursday.

Twas A Very Merry Friessmas!

Since a few of you asked, I'm not sure when I started referring to my birthday as "Friessmas," although I think it was back in grammar school when I fantasized that someday my birthday would be a holiday. Yes, even then I thought an awful lot of myself or, at least, my future self. Silly, I know, but when you're as an unpopular and weird a little turd as I was back then, you relish your birthday as the one day off from misery. (Awww. Tragic.)

Of course, I've built up a whole ritual, complete with requiring my partner to play "Once A Year Day" from Pajama Game on Friessmas morning even though it's actually a song about the annual company picnic. (I'd been with Miles two weeks when our first Friessmas came around. Amazing, isn't it, that he didn't open the escape hatch then and there!)

Anyhow, it was a lovely Friessmas. I got to do another NYT piece, this time about a stay of execution in Nevada for a killer who, strange as it seems, actually did not wish to see another Friessmas. And I discovered that one of my more pathetic dreams had been fulfilled, the NPR show "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" used one of my stories as fodder for a joke! I'll play the segment on this week's "The Strip," so tune in when it's up tomorrow night. I suppose I should've known the idea of transplanting the scalps of cadavers would tickle them, but I sort of thought Rock, Paper, Scissors professionals might, too. Ya never know. I just learned it also made a Leno monologue! Woo hoo!

I heard from my family via phone, our ritual in lieu of cards and gifts for adult relatives, and Miles left me all day with a tempting stack of wrapped gifts on our gorgeous new kitchen table. I did not cheat, either. We dined at Joyful House, the most authentic Chinese restaurant I know in Vegas where I don't have to use my now-overrusted Mandarin skills to order. We came home for our little gift-and-cake ceremony, as you can see. The puppies enjoyed it too!

The loot consisted of a Norah Jones CD, a new Ruth Rendell book and a beautiful new winter jacket (see left) from Saks that Miles seems to have spirited out of the store without having the alarm tag removed. There I am modeling. My friend Walt gave me a season of "All in the Family" on DVD and my mother says a gift is en route. And, of course, there were many e-cards, calls and other well-wishes. So thanks to you all for all that!

THE STRIP'S LIVE SHOW IS WEDNESDAY

Sorry folks. Miles wishes to take me out for Friessmas, so we'll convene Wednesday this week at 7:05 pm PT. In honor of this week's 9th anniversary of the debut of "O", we'll have an original "O" performer and an original "Mystere" performer for a Cirque-tastic episode!

Join us at LVROCKS.COM.